It was one of the first provinces in the country; the first Dominican constitution made it in 1844 one of the five original provinces of the country. Its name has always been El Seibo, written sometimes as El Seybo.

The original province had all the eastern part of the Hispaniola, including the Samaná peninsula. But soon the province was reduced to make new provinces. The first two new provinces made with land of El Seibo province were Samaná in 1865, and San Pedro de Macorís in 1882.

In 1961, the old La Altagracia province, that later was divided in La Altagracia and La Romana provinces, was made out of the El Seibo province. The last province made with part of El Seibo was Hato Mayor in 1984.

People from this province took part in the war against Haiti during the Independence War; the leader was Pedro Santana, who had a farm near to the city of El Seibo and who became the first president of the country.

Before that, people from El Seibo fought against the Frencharmy. The most important battle was the Palo Hincado Battle won by the Dominican people on 7 November 1808, in a savanna (Palo Hincado Savanna) just to the east of Santa Cruz del Seibo. Soon the French had to leave the country, and the whole island; they had lost Haiti, too.

The River Soco is the most important river of the province; it flows from the Cordillera Oriental to the Caribbean Sea.

The only main road in the province is the Carretera Mella (Mella National Road) that goes through the middle of the province; the road comes from Santo Domingo and goes through the cities of Hato Mayor and Santa Cruz del Seibo and ends in Higüey.